Crystal River current., 1887-01-22
PARTISAN JOURNALISM.

In recent interview Mr.. Hopkins,
Of Le Matin, Paris, gave to San Fran
cisco Chronicle reporter some interest
ing glimpses Of Partisan journalism:
..Parisian journalism. said he. ''is
remarkable for its many failures and
its few great Ruccesses. Paris may be
said to be the graveyard Of newspapers
1t is easy for journal to be born there
and easy for it to die. Since we started
the Mastn as many as fifty or sixty pa
pers have been started and disappeared.
It is easy to start paper in Paris, be-
cause the cost is SO trifing. OF the
more than fifty daily papers in that city
not more than six are printed on their
own type, and of the six not more than
two or three are printed on their own
presses. Even lie Petit Journal, with
its 925, 900 daily circulation, is printed
by Maronina under contract. The Fl
CARO- is also printed by him. He is a.
builder of machines and has the amplest
facilities. All that is necessary to start
q journal in Paris is an Office, desk, pen,
ink, and paper. Contracts can always
be made with any of the large printing
establishments on Montmartre street.
These will furnish from fifteen thousand
to twenty thousand of large four-page
paper for about 1,5OO francs. The ad-
vertising is farmed out to one of the
three great advertising firms who mo-
nopolize the business. The Anglo-Saxon
style of cheap and direct advertising is
=:
may also thus be farmcd out. So it will
be seen that few thousand francs is
ample to start paper in Paris. Not
only does every political group have its
own organ, but almost every faction of
a group, every senator, and even depu-
ties of wealth, influence, and ambition.
They are founded everywhere to serve
private interests and personal ambi-
tions. In Franco it costs no more to
keep daily newspaper than It does to
keep a mistress, steam yacht, or q
pack of hounds. The newspaper has
this advantage-tha it leads to all sorts
of things even to the presidency.
'sThe greatest newspaper success of
France, probably of the world, is LIE
Petit journal. 1t daily prints 925.0oo
copies, and sells them all. 1t is bcliev-
ed that it is read by one-half Of the
reading public of France. 1t cheap
paper, selling for sou. Its advertise
ing rates are very high, some of its
space bringing as much as 20 francs .
line. 1t has larger circulation than
all the morning dailies of New York
and london combined. The net profits
!, of the concern last year exceeded 31,-
600. 600. The great success of this
journal may be attributed to its fewil-
let0ns, or continued stories, of which
each number contains two. 1t was the
pioneer of the feuilieton idea. Its ad-
mirable system Of advertising itself has
also helped it. Among its original
yfbntributors are Zo!a. Halevy. Sardou.
Daudet, Claretie. and others.
'.The Figaro has also been q great
: financial success. and as . literary
product is the most brilliant newspa-
per in France. It was founded by
Villemessant, famous the world over.
It was the first paper in Paris to intro
duce interviews and other features of
reporting It is managed by MN.
Maynard Perivier. and Rodays.
Among its staff are Albert Wolf. Baron
Platel Ngnotus) Philippe Gile (Masqus
de Ferl Jules Prevel. and others. The
Figaro is great financial success.
The shares originally were worth 60
francs; now they are worth 11.O00
francs.
The Temps is an evening paper Of .
serious type, and. perhaps. one of the
best journals in Paris. 1t has been q
very fair financial success.
The France, founded by the brilliant
Emile Girardin, has been a very popu-
lar paper in France. and formerly exer-
cised great political influence. The
genius of its founder has left it, and it,
wings are painfully dropping. The
building Of La France is one Of the f.
nest in France, and is replcte with
every appointment, even to a fencing
room for the editors and their friends.
sYos know. of course" said Mr..
Hopkins, 'that the editorial looms of
the Paris press are club-rooms for the
editors and their friends. Here all the
brilliant men Of Paris gather after the
plav or the opera Often in former